Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

All is quiet — for now

I know everyone is getting restless because the speculation is out there on the Hot Stove front but not a whole lot has happened yet. This is the calm before the storm.

At the end of Thursday — when midnight turns to Friday — all free agents will be eligible to sign with other teams. This is where things will start to pick up.

Obviously with the Red Sox, the big domino is Jason Bay. Will they be able to keep him, and if not, who plays left field?

The Billy Wagner situation is also interesting. Could he actually stay in Boston? The likelihood is still that he will go somewhere else and the Red Sox will get compensatory draft picks.

Then, there is the shortstop situation. Who will it be? Alex Gonzalez? Omar Vizquel? Marco Scutaro? One reason I don’t see them signing Scutaro is because they are so high on Julio Iglesias as the shortstop of the future, and Iglesias might only be a year or two away.

They spoke with John Lackey’s agent, but I don’t see that as a vialbe option. As the most accomplished starter on the market, Lackey is likely going to get big bucks from someone this winter, and when it comes to starting pitchers in their 30s, that someone is usually not the Red Sox.

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17 Comments

Ian, what is the status on Jed Lowrie’s wrist? Is his status part of why they declined A-Gonz’s option (apart from the $6 Mil)? You stated in the Mailbag that (paraphrasing) Lowrie is still in the future plans of the Red Sox (or could that “future plan” be a trade)? Are they therefore going to wait on signing another SS (if they sign one at all), or are they looking at playing Lowrie closer to full-time? I understand that Scutaro could be out as an option, certainly not less expensively, but I would be puzzled (given his age) if Theo were to pursue Vizquel over A-Gonz. Thoughts?

Follow-up, Ian: Your piece said that Lowrie is not viewed realistically as the 2010 SS. Is this still Theo’s position? Are they thinking, if so, of other options for Lowrie, if Iglesias is that close to the Majors as they think?

CLICK:::: Hey did you hear that?? That was the sound of the stove being turned on. After midnight tomorrow night we should start hearing some interesting dialogue in the world of MLB.
NOTE TO THEO: PLEASE THEO ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A REDSOX TEAM THAT CAN WIN IT ALL NEXT YEAR. No pressure, of course, intended.

I still hold out hope that they will sign our current AGon at a reduced salary. Just sign him and get it over with, at least you know what you’re getting with him. Great glove, decent bat and someone who fits in.

Once again Boston has no answers at s.s. coming into the winter. I think we have seen this story before. lol. I say bring back Gonzalez ( add Lowrie into that mix as well ) have them keep the seat warm until Iglesias makes it too Boston.

A bat nobody is talking about is Miguel Cabrera ( of course keep him away from the local bars ) It sounds like the Tigers are going to cut some $$$$$ of off their payroll and Cabrera could be available and Boston wouldn’t have to give up much to get him. Of course they would take on his enormous contract but Boston certainly can afford it. Cabrera would put some up HUGE numbers in Boston. The guy can flat out hit.

Someone please pick Wagner up and drive him to Logan Airport and get him out of town! Take Delcarmen as well.

Brian.. Certainly you cant be talking about Miguel Cabrera, right?? If so, google him and read the end of the season headlines regarding him. If its him that youre talking about, I cant see the RedSox even considering him.. Definitely not the kind of press we’ve EVER seen in regard to Boston players… staying out all night before a CRUCIAL game drinking with the opposing team, getting hammered, going home and smacking the wife around??? No.. I dont think youd see something like that in a Boston uniform without some serious contract stips….
but if its another cabrera (orlando maybe) then okay… just my shoot from the lip reaction.
glad to see you back amongst the typing….

i hope we keep wagner… and whats the likelyhood of trading papelbon…. if we keep wagner and have him and bard share closing set-up duties, and sign papelbon to a 2 year deal and trade him for a bat or a shortstop say troy tulowitzki or a stephen drew if thats at all posible

The thought that we might actually have Billy Wagner on our team next season? I am shocked that we even have a chance! I hope that Theo can make it happen. And shall we all be lighting candles today in the hope that the Red Sox and Jason Bay can come to an agreement before midnight?

I don’t need to google his name–I’m well aware of his behavior. Obviously not fond what he did to his wife ( then again I wasn’t there so I really don’t know the entire story ) Cabrera screwed up big-time and I’m guessing it wasn’t the first time he partied until 6:00 a.m. and came home smashed. Drinking with the opposing team…News flash Ellen…all these guys know each other and that happens quite a bit. This is the 21st century and times have changed when it comes to guys on other teams hanging out with each other.

I’m talking about Cabrera the guy that can flat out hit a baseball and a bat Boston needs! Cabera is a difference maker in a lineup. If I had my choice between Adrian Gonzalez or Cabrera—I’ll take Gonzalez but to get Gonzalez you MUST give up alot of top notch prospects. From what I have read, it sounds like Detroit wants to unload some $$$$$ this season. We’ll see how it all works.

I still think he signs with the Sox. I would do the same thing, weigh optionsm see what I can get. BUT COME ON JASON…..

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [November 19 at 11:01am CST]
Jason Bay rejected a contract offer from the Red Sox worth close to $60MM over four years, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. We’ve heard for a while that Bay wants to test the free agent market, so the Red Sox suspected Bay might turn their offer down.

“It’s not a surprise that a player that’s gone this far wants to see what’s out there,” GM Theo Epstein said.

Bay will hit the open market in 12 hours, along with John Lackey, Matt Holliday and the rest of this year’s free agents. Heyman says the Red Sox are thought to have interest in Holliday as well as Bay.

I’ve been saying that as well. 4 years and not a day more. That being said…Boston shouldn’t pursue Holliday. I’ll take Bay over Holliday any day of the week! We already know Bay can play in Boston and thrived in the pressure. Even though Bay was streaky during the year and also went A.W.O.L. during the playoffs like most of the Red Sox hitters and some pitchers.

This is from the , “well we can dream can’t we” file:
I hope that the owners, Yankees and Sox included, send a message this year to the free agents that the bottomless pocket days are over. If they, collectively, squeeze their wallets a little tighter this year, maybe it could be a start of a reversal of the overpaying that has been going on in the past decade or so.
…as I said, we can dream can’t we!!

Sign Bay and get it over with….Holliday is a Boras asset and I can’t believe he would be much cheaper. Why let Bay go to sign Holliday? If it comes down to the price being close…I’d take Bay. Unfortunately…..Bay will find out what his true worth is when the Yankees come a knocking. Their outfield needs help. Guess what….the Sox outfield needs help too with Nancy “I have a hang nail” Drew in right. The Sox can not afford to let Bay go. A lot players are streaky….we just happen to know Bay is because we watched him every night. Gonzalez did the same thing…I saw the Padres a lot. All we see when we see a player we don’t watch every night are his end of season numbers. If you did not watch Bay every night you would have thought he had another great year (which he did), guarantee this, if the Sox don’t sign him someone else will and we’ll pay for it later. We know he gives 100% every game and he doesn’t get hurt a lot, he is what a lot of teams are looking for……bring him back. Go Sox.

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